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“No.” I thought quickly. “We’ll come by now. Hang tight.”
I hung up and explained the discovery to Mehrtens.
Her eyes lit up. “If it is his blood, then we’ll be able to confirm the assailant’s blood type, and we’ll have a comparison for DNA analysis. This could be exactly what we need.”
I nodded. I understood the importance of the find.
We stopped outside the veterinary clinic, and Summer came to meet us. She passed me a small vial, and I sealed it inside a Ziplock bag.
“Get the bastard” was all she said.
I ruffled her hair, ignoring her scowl. “We will.”
I‘d just gotten into the car when my phone rang again. It was Kennedy.
“What’s up?” I asked, positioning the phone between my shoulder and ear while I did up my seatbelt.
“I just heard about Grace.” Her voice was thick with tears. “I’m so sorry, I knew I shouldn’t leave, but Alice was there too, so it seemed safe enough.”
Mehrtens started driving.
“Wait, Alice was there?”
“Yeah.” She hesitated. “Her car was parked out front, anyway. Wasn’t she there? Obviously not or you wouldn’t ask. Oh my god. Do you think she’s okay, or could she have been hurt too?”
I tried to summon an image of the kitchen into my mind. There had been plenty of blood, but it had been pooled around Grace, and there was no sign anyone had been dragged through it. I couldn’t recall seeing blood anywhere else, although there must have been at least some because the attacker would have been covered in it as they left.
“I don’t think she was involved in the attack at the house, but I’ll send an officer to look for her.” I ended the call and was about to radio in the information when we arrived outside Grace’s house, and I spotted Alice near the gate, looking paler than usual and carrying two takeout cups. She was eyeballing the row of police vehicles and the crime scene tech’s van warily.
“I’ll talk to her,” I told Mehrtens. “You get the vial to the tech guys.”
I gave her the vial, knowing she’d be aware of the proper protocol for logging it and passing it on. As soon as we exited the vehicle, she was pulled into conversation with another officer, and I strode toward Alice. As I got closer, I noticed how ruffled Alice’s composure seemed to be compared to normal. Something else looked different too. I studied her for a moment before I realized she wasn’t wearing makeup, and instead of her usual dress or skirt and shirt, she was wearing tailored slacks and a blazer. The dark colors only served to emphasize her pale complexion.
“W-what happened?” she asked, her voice wobbling.
“Where have you been?” My tone was harsh, and she backed away a step. “Kennedy said you were with Grace.”
“I was.”
My eyes narrowed. “Then why was someone able to stab her without you knowing about it?”
Her mouth fell open. “She wasstabbed?” She shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “Oh my god. This is all my fault. Is she okay?” Her expression was miserable.
“She was alive when emergency services arrived. That’s all I know.”
Her face pinched. “Thank god.”
“So,” I prompted. “Where were you?”
She shrugged. “Grace was a bit emotional, so I went to get coffee and scones from Taste of Destiny to perk her up, but then my stupid car broke down. I had to wait for Warren to tow it before I could come back.”
I watched her carefully. My instincts were telling me something was off, and I was going to listen to them. She was too agitated and antsy. I didn’t like it.
“We’ll need to take your statement at the station. You might have seen or heard something before you left that will help us find the person responsible.” Hopefully phrasing it that way would get her into an interview room without any fuss. “Wait a moment.” I radioed Mehrtens, afraid that Alice might leave if I took my eyes off her, and explained where we were going. When I was done, Alice followed me meekly to the car and got into the passenger seat, placing the cups in the holder between us.
“So, you don’t know who did that to Grace?” she asked eventually. “They were already gone when you got there?”
I forced myself not to look at her, knowing my thoughts would show on my face. “Did you think they’d stay and wait to be caught?”
